Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) voted no on advancing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as the Secretary of Health and Human Services during a Senate Committee on Finance meeting.
Kennedy is President Donald Trump’s nominee for the position. All Democrats on the committee voted in opposition to Kennedy’s nomination.
“I need someone at HHS who is going to say, we are going to be a leader in medical technology, science, vaccines, we are going to fight foreign powers, we are going to be there to provide global health. And I don’t want a recalcitrant. I need a leader. And that is why I’m voting no,” said Sen. Cantwell.
Last week, Sen. Cantwell questioned Kennedy during his nomination hearing on his views of vaccines and his plan to replace 600 employees at the National Institute of Health.
“I represent a very big innovation state – innovation in health care, specifically. Innovation like NIH funding to the Fred Hutch Cancer Center that helped develop the HPV vaccine, which has the potential to eliminate over 95% of cervical cancer. NIH also funds a lot of jobs and grants – nearly 11,000 people in the State of Washington and over $1.2 billion worth grants,” Sen. Cantwell said last week during the nomination hearing. “I definitely am troubled by the medical research side of innovation, and some of the things that you have said. In fact, this issue about laying off 600 employees at NIH.”
Overall, the Senate Finance Committee voted 14-13 to send his nomination to a full vote on the Senate floor. A full Senate vote has not yet been scheduled.
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